Special court grants time more time to CBI, ED to complete probe in Aircel Maxis case

A special court in Delhi on Tuesday granted time till November 3 to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to complete the probe in the Aircel Maxis case involving former Union minister P Chidambaram.

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar adjourned the matter for November 3 after the two agencies sought more time due to the pendency of Letters Rogatory (LRs) in several countries. Arguments on cognizance of the chargesheet pending before the court.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the two agencies, submitted that since the investigation is still pending due to qua LRs issued to the different countries, therefore, the matter may be adjourned for arguments on the point of cognizance.

Earlier, he had informed the court that the CBI has sent LRs to Malaysia and other countries and there are some developments in that regard. The agency had also submitted that it is working on a new lead. The two agencies have also filed status reports in the court on the last date.

The court had directed the two agencies to file a status report in the case, which involves P Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram, which was adjourned sine die. The court, while asking for reports from the agencies, said that the allegations mentioned in the chargesheet appeared to be "quite serious in nature."

Chidambaram and his son Karti are currently out on bail in the matter.

Predecessor Judge OP Saini, while granting the bail, had observed that the entire evidence related to the commission of the crime by the two accused was documentary in nature and is not liable to be tampered with by the two accused persons.

"Both the accused are Members of Parliament and P Chidambaram is also the former finance and home minister of the country. Considering these factors there is no apparent possibility of the accused fleeing from justice," the order had said.

The case, which is being probed by the CBI and ED, relates to alleged irregularities in grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal. The FIPB approval was allegedly granted in 2006 when Chidambaram was the Union finance minister.

( With inputs from ANI )